An Era of Telephone Diary

It was the day of my aunt’s wedding. The house was overflowing with guests. My grandfather yelled, “Veena (my grandmother), where is the caterer’s number?”

“Oh! It’s written in the C-section of the telephone diary by the name of caterer Chandrashekhar.”

“Where is the diary, Veena?”

“Lying in the side drawer of the telephone table, Malhotra ji. Please keep it back in the drawer; otherwise in so much rush, it will get misplaced.”

After every fifteen minutes, somebody asked for a telephone number for an errand, and Veena ji repeated the same request, “Please keep the diary back in its place.” Everything was going smoothly, and the time came for the members to proceed towards the venue.

“Aunty, I need the number of beauty parlour. Let me ask if they can send some beauticians here for the guest. Otherwise, a massive rush will gather at the parlour.”

“Nice thought, Anusha beta, and the diary is in the side drawer of the telephone table. It’s written in the R section by the name Revathy’s style. And please beta, put the diary back in the same drawer.

My grandmother was busy with last-minute errands when someone said, “Aunty, uncle just called from the venue that Jaymala has not arrived. Please call the decorator and remind him.” “Ravi beta, please can you call on my behalf and remind the decorator. The telephone diary is lying in the telephone table’s side drawer.”

Few minutes later Veena Aunty said, “I can’t find any diary in the drawer. Beta, please check once again.”

“Aunty, I searched every drawer and corner of the room, but I could not find any diary.” My grandmother yelled, “Ki siyapa pei gaya!” I had written all the important numbers in that diary. I repeatedly requested everybody to place the diary back in its place after use.

Now my calm and patient grandmother got in a fix. She searched the entire room, and ordered instructions to everybody in the house to find the missing diary. It was a hilarious comedy show. A telephone diary got more importance than the would-be bride.

For an hour, the entire house searched every nook and corner, every drawer, almirah, and bookshelf but in vain. And finally, Massi’s pet dog Bruno saved her wedding day by finding the guest of honour, ‘The Great Telephone Diary.’ My grandmother took a sigh of relief and called the caterer, decorator and pandit ji to be on the safe side. She pocketed her diary in her purse for safekeeping and smiled, her beaming smile.

Mona